Almasy, Sterling shut down Haddon Heights

Sarah Almasy is shy when speaking about herself and her Sterling softball teammates' feats.

So she let her arm do the talking Friday in an important Colonial Conference Liberty Division game at home.

Almasy hurled a three-hitter against Haddon Heights, striking out four and walking two, as the Silver Knights sailed to a 4-1 victory.

The win improved Sterling's record to 15-2 overall and 10-2 in the division and ran its winning streak to six games. It tied Haddon Heights for the top spot in the division, with four games to go.

Sterling is ranked No. 4 in South Jersey by The Inquirer and is the codefending division champ with Overbrook.

"This was a huge game," Almasy said as her coach, Kelly Tallant, stood by. "I knew I had to come out and hit my spots and do everything to strike them out or let them fly out and let my defense field the balls."

Almasy (12-2) added that her screwball and change-up were working well. That was evident in the fourth inning, when the Garnets (12-4, 10-2) had two on with one out and were trailing, 4-0.

Courtesy runners Kristen Resh and Kandace Smith were on first and third, respectively, ready to take off. But Almasy got Becky Transue and Jackie Emerle to pop up to the pitcher and to third baseman Alexis Daubert to end the inning.

"She [Almasy] pitched a good game," Haddon Heights coach Michelle Schlichtig said. "We didn't hit the ball."

Schlichtig added that the pressure of the game might have gotten to her young players. They also lost to Sterling, 5-3, on April 14.

The Knights sprinted to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, when Shayla Sweeney gave up four hits and her defense committed two errors. The big blow was delivered by Kylie O'Donnell, who stroked a two-run single to left field for a 2-0 lead.

"Shay is a good pitcher," said O'Donnell, who went 2 for 3. "So we had to try to get on them early, and one of the things we were stressing was to get a lead. We did that today, and it worked out because that's the way it stayed the rest of the game.

"This is a big win because it puts us in a position where if we can win the rest of our games, we can keep the first-place spot. You always want home-field advantage [in the playoffs]."

The Garnets scored their lone run in the fifth inning, when courtesy runner Resh scored on a throwing error.

Sweeney, who struck out seven and walked two, said she had to throw the ball closer to the plate because "the ump was squeezing me."

"I felt very strong; I was ready for this game," Sweeney said. "Our whole team was pumped up. It just didn't go our way."

"This [loss] was really disappointing."

Haddon Heights   0000100 - 132

Sterling   400000x - 473

WP: Sarah Almasy. LP: Shayla Sweeney. 2B: S-Kate Biasi.